


Culture Erasure of Fae and Dwarves

by oof_ohno



Series: Auradon Casts Dark Shadows [2]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), The Isle of the Lost Series - Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Auradon Prep (Disney), Discrimination, Disney, Dwarves, Fae & Fairies, High School, Isle of the Lost (Disney), Movie: Descendants (2015), No beta we die like mne, Post-Descendants (2015), Pre-Descendants (2015), Racism, Snow White Elements, United States of Auradon (Disney), United States of Auradon (Disney) Is Not Perfect, auradon discrimination
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:02:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28579443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oof_ohno/pseuds/oof_ohno
Summary: More of a scrutiny of Auradon than a character-driven story, this snippet focuses on the fae (NOT Disney fairies) and dwarves from stories like Brave and Snow White (with a brief mention of Nordic fae from Frozen). It's mostly centres on the class structures and staff discrimination rather than that among students, so enjoy a lovely essay about historical erasure and minimisation of minority group needs.
Series: Auradon Casts Dark Shadows [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2094000
Kudos: 23





	Culture Erasure of Fae and Dwarves

**Author's Note:**

> don't worry the discrimination among students will happen later (;
> 
> and not at all like any of this could be applied to the real world hahahahahaha wouldnt that be so horrible -.-

For most non-human races, coming into Auradon is the biggest culture shock of their lives. While some kids, like those of fairies in classic Disney tales, were lucky enough to live amongst humans growing up, many heralding from other realms never had such a luxury. Getting in on scholarships and quotas meant that not every fae or dwarf entering Auradon had ever actually seen much of the human realm, let alone Auradon Prep itself. Most middle- and lower-status students were lured by promises of equality and a better education and status than their realm could ever hope to provide, and, despite their parents’ adamant warnings, many dwarves and fae chose to attend anyway.

Kids of more prestigious families--the higher-ups of the summer and winter courts, the seven dwarves, and the Disney Fairies, to name a few--are expected to attend Auradon. After all, refusing a free spot would dishonour the family in the eyes of anyone with actual power in the kingdom, and the stigma would follow the children for the rest of their lives. Even amongst their own communities, few fae and dwarves accept turning down such a world-class education--or, rather, what _advertises_ itself to be a world-class education. With Auradon attached to your name, you can go practically anywhere. It further legitimises you in the eyes of the royals and bureaucrats who really controlled the kingdoms. After all, if you want to make a change, you have to play the system.

Unfortunately, succeeding at Auradon is much harder when your culture is dwindled down to an extra credit class offered to a fraction of the school and clubs promoting your own history, culture, and identity are frowned upon by most of the student body. As for teacher diversity, it was as strongly implemented as cultural diversity. Few non-humans actually held _teaching_ positions at the school, and it was common knowledge that the Disney fairies held the second highest demographic by a wide margin. Custodial and secretarial duties, on the other hand, were largely populated by the non-human demographic. (After all, why should humans take up such menial jobs when so many lower-class dwarves and fae are desperate for the chance to work, let alone live, in Auradon?) And when human teachers cover fae and dwarf representation, inaccuracies and conflicts are bound to arise.

\--

History is likely one of Auradon’s greatest errors. In the core history classes, lessons are taught from a human perspective and pay little heed to the roles of dwarves and fae during the time. While the roles of Disney fairies--the Fairy Godmother; Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather; and the Blue Fairy, to name a few--are often glorified, the contributions of those like the seven dwarves are minimised into face-value characteristics and little more. What can be said about Dopey from the history book except for his bashful nature and nonverbal methods of communication? Obviously, he must be slow. What reason would the history books have to tell you that he was a prolific author amongst dwarves who avorously read any book he could get his hands on as a child? Why would they mention his innate ability to read others’ emotions and know when something is off before the person might realise it themselves? Would the history books ever dare to say why he was mute in the first place, or should it simply be interpreted by all future generations as an incapability of actual profoundness, a slowness of the mind?

As minimised as side characters often are, those of other realms who have little “Disney” history of their own--namely fae of Celtic and Nordic culture who are only referenced in the tales of Merida and Elsa--are hardly mentioned at all. The relationship between the Summer and Winter Courts, the origin of the “rock trolls”--all of it is glossed over should a student even manage to make it into the elective history course for it. Those classes can, in a sense, be considered a haven for fae and dwarves, as there are no humans who are completely oblivious to the obvious cultural differences and stories the other races grew up hearing. On the other hand, the lack of humans in the course exemplifies the most pressing issue Auradon faces. Without educating humans on the culture of other races, they will never realise the dichotomy between their privilege and what the fae and dwarves often work so hard to achieve. The tensions between them only rise as another human mistakes a fae of the Summer Court as a member of the Winter Court or dwarves are stereotyped as natural artists who like to work with their hands by their teachers.

A worse offense than completely minimising the roles of dwarves and fae, however, is changing history to fit Auradon’s narrative of the peaceful union between the realms and the humans’ success bringing together unruly cultures under one umbrella. During such units, a particularly bold fae or dwarf often remarks “that’s not how we learned it in my culture”, and though a few heads may nod in agreement, the teacher either ignores the comment entirely or snidely remarks that their realm twisted the truth to fit their narrative and need to be perfect in history’s eyes. Oh, the irony.

Every once in a while, a human brings up the same point of the lesson’s innacuracy or corroborates the fae/dwarf’s objections, and--if the student has a high enough status--only then will the teacher consider the possibility that they were incorrect or apologise for “misspeaking”. Though a few fae and dwarves are grateful to get their instructors to even _acknowledge_ the discrepancies in Auradonian history, for most, it simply _hurts_ to see how the teachers only listen to students who have influence--students who will never be fae or dwarven. 

Bridging the gap between fae, dwarves, and humans could be achieved in a number of different classes, history only being one of them. Auradon’s literature department is just another culprit of what fae and dwarves call human-washed or Disney-washed culture. Just as history is taught solely from a human perspective, it is rare to take a literature class that acknowledges as much as a poem or short story from a dwarven or fae author. Although the occasional human author covered in class has actually taken the time to properly research and represent other races in their story, such care is rarely taken, and few professors have the knowledge or care to correct such misappropriations.

The battle between fae/dwarves and Auradon has lasted years, but few measures are actually taken. The few “Fae History” or “Dwarven History” classes that exist are only thanks to the Summer and Winter Courts threatening an uprising if something wasn’t done to represent their history and Snow White’s objections in the early years of Auradon. Since Snow White’s divorce from her husband--a story for another time--dwarf representation at Auradon has significantly dwindled down to a handful of classes offered solely to fit the school’s diversity quota.

Sometimes, a teacher is brave--or naive--enough to rebel against the Disney-washed culture and includes books written by minority authors. However, their boldness is often worn away after only a semester--or, if the students are lucky--a year, as eventually, the admin has a conversation with them about their status as a teacher at Auradon. Some student whose parents pay the bills became “uncomfortable” with such minority subject matter, and the school just can’t lose a key endorsement on the account of a single teacher not conforming to the Auradonian curriculum. Every time news spreads that a “progressive” teacher was shut down by the administration yet again, the fae and dwarves grow that much more resentful towards Auradon and all it stands for.

While art, physical education, and music classes all have their issues, their status as mostly electives have placed them far lower on the list of qualms the dwarves and fae have with Auradon’s treatment of minority cultures. After all, when classes fail to teach diversity and respect for other cultures, the staff--mostly Auradon alumni--will also fail to see beyond the stereotypes when teaching such minorities.

\--

Most teachers at Auradon unfortunately have prejudices against fae and dwarves when assessing their capabilities. A dwarf taking a pottery or jewellery class is automatically graded at a higher standard, as such knowledge is expected to be ingrained. Similarly, fae--the masters of the forest and, therefore, plants and magic--are expected to excel in subjects like botany, chemistry, and biology. This gross misunderstanding of real dwarf and fae culture, where such subjects only make up a fraction of fae/dwarf knowledge and life, often leads to unfairly low grades and teachers refusing to help struggling minority students. Fae are often the first to be called to answer a question in botany classes and are split up amongst human groups to “help them learn”. It matters little whether the fae is _actually_ knowledgeable in that area, as this stereotype often leads to bullying either way. If a fae misses a botany question or gets a B- on a chemistry exam, humans brand them as a “terrible fae” and jeer that they must be a disgrace to their homeland. Being knowledgeable about botany or chemistry--let alone having a passion for it--only affirms the stereotype and often becomes the only thing the fae is known for among their peers. (Exploitation and teacher pressure to tutor other students naturally follow.)

Dwarves watch in frustration as a terrible stick figure drawing receives the same grade as a figurine they designed that represents their culture simply because their figurine wasn’t “ornate enough”, whereas humans “aren’t always natural artists and need encouragement to nurture their talents.” Celtic fae struggle to adopt the Auradonian writing style, and paper after paper is marked down because “we don’t write like that here” or “this isn’t even a proper writing style”.

To add insult to injury, special seating for the dwarves and shorter fae are only ever in two spots: the very front of the classroom for everyone to see and the back where it’s impossible to see in the first place. A raised seat is cause enough to be made fun of, and it paints an obvious target on one’s back. Those late to class on the first day often face the worst ridicule, as they’re either stuck in the front row or are positioned so low in humans’ chairs that they can’t see in the first place. (And should a student or teacher notice and offer them a cushion...oh the horror). Backpacks that act as seat cushions have become all too common, but it comes at the detriment of being unable to access any class materials without making a scene. The freshman drop-out rate amongst lower/middle-status dwarves speaks for itself. Despite the stigma of spurning a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, many students would rather face a lifetime of occasional snide remarks from their own kind than four years of hell at Auradon.


End file.
